


Whenever, Wherever

by hopefulminty



Series: When... [4]
Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe, College, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26625046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopefulminty/pseuds/hopefulminty
Summary: A collection of short stories/scenes that take place in theWhen...universe.
Relationships: Connor Murphy & Zoe Murphy, Evan Hansen & Jared Kleinman, Evan Hansen/Connor Murphy, Jared Kleinman & Connor Murphy, Jared Kleinman/Zoe Murphy
Series: When... [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542145
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	1. Post-College – One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

> This is a random collection of stories that take place before, during, and after _When Evan Met Connor_ and _When Connor Met Evan_. The chapter titles will explain when they take place. Anything that takes place before or during freshman year can also be considered part of _The Royal When_ universe unless I say otherwise. Anything that only takes place in the _Royal_ universe will have a [royal] at the end of the chapter title. 
> 
> My head's all over the place these days, so these stories will probably appear at random and be pretty random. Writing calms me and entertains me and I definitely need both of those things right now, so I'm just kind of going with whatever my brain feels like working on. At the moment, that list just seems to include random bursts of fluff and TRW (which will hopefully start having semi-regular updates eventually).

Connor sighed as he threw himself onto the bed. “Okay, that’s it. We’re changing the locks.”

He pulled himself up when Evan didn’t respond. 

He frowned when he saw Evan’s expression. In the two minutes it had taken him to trick Zoe and Jared into leaving, Evan had managed to totally freak himself out about something.

Connor couldn’t even begin to imagine what.

It had been a quiet day. A good day, even.

Not even the Zoe-Jared invasion had changed that.

He was serious about changing the locks though.

And never, ever letting anyone in his family have a copy of the key again.

He nudged Evan’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? Did Jared say something about that fucking sausage again because I swear I’m going to-”

Evan burst out laughing. 

Which was the last thing Connor had been expecting. It was his turn to silently freak out.

Evan shook his head while he tried to stop laughing. 

Which made Connor laugh too. Sort of. It was more of a chuckle than a laugh.

A confused chuckle. He had no idea why they were laughing.

It took him a minute to notice the magazine in Evan’s lap.

And then his chuckle turned into a laugh. A genuine laugh.

He snatched the magazine from Evan before he could try to hide it. “Are polos out now or something?”

He grinned when Evan didn’t follow that. “Something in this upset you. Are polos-”

“Were they ever really in?” Evan wrinkled his nose. “Don’t say with-”

“With the Harrises,” Connor teased. “And the country club crowd.”

“Yeah, but one of their polos probably costs the same as ten of mine.”

Connor nodded absentmindedly. “Where’d you get this?”

“It was on the couch,” Evan shrugged.

“It’s probably Zoe’s.”

“Probably,” Evan agreed.

Connor flipped through the pages. “So, what caused the face then?”

“The face?”

“You looked like someone had just kicked a puppy when I came in.”

“Oh,” Evan muttered. “I was looking at this quiz and-”

Connor snorted at that. He flipped to the table of contents. The quizzes had been conveniently listed in a square. “And you found out that you’re secretly a reality tv junkie?”

Evan stared at his hands.

That wasn’t it.

Connor hadn’t really thought it was.

He jabbed at the page and tried again. “Did it tell you your signature scent is vanilla? Because you are so not a vanilla.”

Evan let his breath out in a huff. “It’s stupid.”

That got Connor’s attention. He checked the list again. He actually read all the questions.

And just like that, he knew.

He squeezed Evan’s hand. “Hey...”

“It’s dumb,” Evan said quickly. “The whole quiz is really dumb. I mean, who goes skydiving on a first date?”

Connor tossed the magazine on the floor. “What were the other choices?”

Evan ticked them off on his fingers. “Candlelit dinner. Movies. Drinks. Bowling.”

“Bowling?” Connor snorted.

Evan snorted too. “I don’t remember the rest.”

“What does it say about your relationship if you went bowling on your first date?”

“According to that-” Evan pointed at the floor, “-it says you’re young at heart and don’t feel the need to blend in.”

“Because you like to bowl?”

“Apparently,” Evan shrugged.

Connor chewed his lip. “We never really did the first date thing, did we?”

Evan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Not officially. We, uh, we had breakfast before we went home after...”

Evan’s ears went adorably red.

Connor decided to help him out. “After graduation?”

Evan nodded at his hands. “Yeah, and that was kind of it, I guess.”

“Breakfast in the dining hall? I bet there wasn’t anything about that in the quiz.”

Evan shook his head. “There wasn’t.”

“That wasn’t a date. That was just... We needed to eat.”

“Yeah,” Evan nodded. “I went to your house a couple days later, didn’t I?”

“To watch our soap. While my mom was downstairs.” Connor shook his head. “Doesn’t count.”

“We went to the movies with-”

“All our friends.” Connor rolled his eyes.

“That would’ve counted if we were twelve!”

They both laughed when their eyes met.

Connor wove their fingers together. “Does it bother you that we just kind of skipped that part of it?”

Evan hesitated a moment before shaking his head. He sighed when he saw the way Connor was looking at him. “No. It doesn’t.”

“But the face...” 

“Was caused by a brief, weird blip of a moment.” Evan’s mouth twisted to the side. “What would we have done on a first date anyway?”

“We would’ve gone skydiving, obviously,” Connor grinned.

Evan wrinkled his nose. “Movie, probably.”

“And then what?” Connor teased. “Made out in my car before I dropped you off?”

“Or gone to eat?” Evan shrugged. “Not a candlelit dinner, but Louie’s maybe?”

“And talked about our families and what we want to do with our lives and whatever other basic topics people discuss on first dates?”

“Things we already knew.”

“Exactly,” Connor nodded. “They should make a quiz about how you met your partner.”

“About how it defines your relationship?”

Connor nodded.

“Friends first makes a pretty solid foundation.”

“Well, yeah, but I mean what your first encounter with them says about your relationship. I saved you from a fire. That has to mean something.”

Evan snorted at that. “If by fire, you mean fire alarm and by saved, you mean you woke me up and-”

“Saved you from getting in trouble with the firefighters. They would’ve thought something was seriously wrong with you if you’d slept through the sirens.” Connor’s smile faded when he saw the way Evan was squirming. “Except that wasn’t actually our first encounter.”

The room fell silent.

An explosion of memories and half-memories filled Connor’s brain.

None of them were good.

He didn’t look at Evan. He didn’t try to guess what was going through Evan’s brain.

He didn’t need the magazine people to decipher that for him. 

It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about.

It wasn’t something they needed to talk about.

It was just there. Always there. Usually on the periphery. 

Evan exhaled deeply. “How far back are we talking? I think we shared a pack of crayons in kindergarten.”

Connor snapped his fingers. Relief washed over him. The periphery was nothing when the foundation was solid. “That. We should write to Zoe’s magazine people and ask them to tell us what that means.”

The room fell silent again.

It wasn’t a comfortable silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable either. 

It was pensive and fleeting and sleepy.

Mostly sleepy.

Connor stifled a yawn with his free hand. “I’m serious about changing the locks.”

“That won’t work. They’ll just ring the doorbell until we let them in.”

“Not if we take it apart. Or do something to make it shock anyone who tries to push it.” Connor frowned at the ceiling. He didn’t feel like getting blacklisted by every delivery service in town. “Maybe we should move.”

“And surrender?” Evan scoffed. “I think not.”

“They’d probably follow us anyway,” Connor sighed.

It was a weird thought. Weird because it was true. Possibly true. It was hard to imagine not seeing Zoe and Jared every day. It wasn’t hard to imagine the four of them being neighbors every time they moved.

It was weird to think about that. It was weird to think that there was a time when it wouldn’t have been weird to not see them.

It would have been welcome. 

He was glad that was no longer case.

It wasn’t enough to stop him from getting the locks changed, but it was something.

It was a weird blip of a moment.

It played across his face. He knew that the second he saw Evan’s expression.

Evan didn’t comment on it.

He squeezed Connor’s hand and nodded at the magazine. “You might want to burn that.”

That got Connor’s attention.

He leaned over to scoop the magazine off the floor. He half-gasped, half-laughed when Evan leaned over to stop him. 

It was too late for them to fight fair.

Evan never stood a chance.

The perks of growing up with a little sister who loved to hog the remote.

Evan shook his head as he pulled himself back up. He didn’t seem annoyed that Connor had gone straight for tickling. He actually seemed amused. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

That did it.

Connor had to know.

He flipped through the magazine until Evan couldn’t contain his amusement anymore. The laughter made Connor pause. “Is it this?” He jabbed at a particularly racy article with diagrams that left little to the imagination. “You think it’s going to traumatize me to imagine my sister reading this shit?”

Evan snorted. “There’s a quiz.”

Connor dropped the magazine like it had burned him.

“It gets worse,” Evan grinned. “Jared took it.”

“How do you-”

“I know Jared’s circles.” Evan made a face. “Don’t ask.”

The image that formed in Connor’s head was so clear he would do anything to unsee it.

“You’re telling me Jared Kleinman took a fucking sex quiz about my sister while taking a dump?”

Evan blinked at him. “Well, I didn’t say anything about taking a dump, but yeah. It would seem so.”

Connor threw the magazine as far as he could. “You know he was looking at that while he was taking a dump.”

Evan cringed in agreement.

“We’re changing the locks.”

“Yeah,” Evan breathed.

“And going skydiving?”

“No.”

“No?” Connor smirked.

“Definitely not.”

“Why?”

“Because we’ll die.”

“Oh, that.” Connor waved his hand dismissively. “Bowling then?”

Evan smothered a yawn. “If we must.”

Connor nodded vaguely with a mixture of satisfaction and exhaustion.

Bowling wasn’t a must. They were evolved. They didn’t need to take a quiz to define their relationship.

It was fine that they hadn’t had an official first date.

It was more than fine.

It was fitting.

Connor didn’t think they’d have a last one either.


	2. Senior Year - November

Jared slammed the door shut behind him.

He reached back and slammed it again for good measure.

Zoe still didn’t look up. 

Eyes glued to the screen, earbuds in. She was in the zone.

He threw himself onto the bed next to her.

That did the trick. She hit pause and sat up. “Hey...”

“Hey?” Jared scoffed. “That’s all I get after you left me there to rot?”

“What was I supposed to do?” Zoe shrugged. “That guy wasn’t going to let you go until Henry paid him.”

“You could’ve done something to get me out,” Jared maintained. 

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Flash him?”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “This isn’t _10 Things I Hate About You_.”

Jared smiled wistfully. “I’d be such a good Heath Ledger.”

Zoe opened her mouth and then closed it.

Jared narrowed his eyes. “You think I’m a Michael, don’t you?”

Zoe threw her arms up defensively. “I didn’t say that.”

“But you’re thinking it.”

Zoe made a show of sniffing him. “You smell like a goat.”

Jared rolled over so his chest was in her face. “Is that working for you?”

Zoe gagged and rolled away. “Change please.” She wrinkled her nose. “And take a shower while you’re at it.”

Jared reluctantly stood up. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “You coming?”

Zoe shook her head slowly.

Jared pretended to pout. He wasn’t surprised. She looked way too comfortable to want to fool around. 

Which was fine.

He wasn’t really in the mood either. No more than usual anyway. 

Zoe tapped his leg with her toe. “So, why’d you do it?”

“It?”

“The goat.” Zoe’s mouth twitched. She continued on quickly before he could interrupt. “I’m referring to the theft. I’m not implying that you are in any way into bestiality.”

“I don’t know,” Jared shrugged. He opened his dresser and started digging around.

“Whose idea was it?”

“Kai’s.” Jared glanced over his shoulder. “Why?”

Zoe made a noncommittal humming sound.

“You thought it was Connor’s?”

“I... How did he get involved?”

“Kai asked him.”

“And he said yes?”

Jared turned around to study her. “What are you suggesting?”

Zoe sighed so hard her hair puffed out. “I don’t know. It just didn’t seem like the kind of thing he’d do.”

Jared nodded slightly. “While I, on the other hand, am the poster boy for goat thieves?”

“You have to admit this is way more you than Connor.”

“He was just as into it as I was!” Jared chuckled at her confusion. “Seriously.”

Jared twisted his wrist around while he weighed his words. “He said he needed a distraction.”

That got Zoe’s attention. She sat up all the way. “From what?”

“He didn’t specify.” Jared grinned at his feet. “Evan.”

“He said that?” Zoe gasped.

“He didn’t need to.” 

It had been obvious. So obvious. Hilariously obvious.

Jared deserved sainthood for not bringing it up. 

Or the Jewish equivalent of sainthood.

His grandmother was right.

He was a real mensch. 

“Those two...” Zoe shook her head.

“Yeah,” Jared smirked. 

“What’s the pool up to now?”

Jared checked his phone. “I got another ten from Ryan, so...” He shook his head. “This needs to be updated. I think I’m missing a few bets.”

“I’m starting to think Cole’s right about graduation.”

Jared nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

“Can I change my bet to that?”

“You can’t change it,” Jared reminded her. “You can place another one though.”

“I was sure it’d happen by Christmas.”

Her words filled the air.

Christmas was right around the corner. It was less than two months away. 

There was no way those two were going to get their act together in time for Zoe to win big.

Jared’s head popped up. “You want to-”

“We can’t interfere. That would be cheating.”

“Not for me,” Jared shrugged. “I don’t have a horse in this race.”

Zoe looked tempted for a moment before she sighed and shook her head. “We’ve done enough.”

Jared grinned at that. “You think that was enough? We should’ve locked them in that haunted house.”

“Evan would’ve had a heart attack.”

“And who would’ve been there to catch him?” Jared grinned and checked his phone. “It would’ve been great for Chris. He had fifty on Halloween.”

“Fifty?” Zoe’s eyes bulged. “I didn’t realize it was getting that high.”

“People are getting anxious. Everyone wants a piece of the prize.”

Everyone including Jared.

Which was why he’d agreed to organize the bet.

It was only natural for the bookie to help himself to a portion of the winnings.

He was surprised no one had called him out on that.

Of course, he was pretty sure Zoe was the only who suspected him of doing it.

It was kind of awesome in a way. He had a girlfriend who got how he operated, who accepted it and him and still wanted him around.

It was nice to have someone who knew him so well.

And he knew her well enough to know his secret was safe. She wasn’t going to say a word.

Not unless he did something really stupid to piss her off, like hugging her while he smelled like a goat.

He sniffed his shirt and coughed.

It was bad.

Really bad.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

Zoe looked happy to hear that.

He had a feeling she was going to light a candle the second he was gone. 

Not for sexy reasons.

For the smell.

Which was bad.

It could’ve been worse. Everything could’ve been worse.

At least she was there. 

That had been an unexpected surprise, but also not that unexpected. She spent half her nights at his place. Approximately half her nights.

It wasn’t like he was keeping count or anything.

It wasn’t like their relationship was the most important one in his life.

It wasn’t like she was the best thing to happen to him. That could happen to him. That would happen to him.

It wasn’t like she’d turned him into some kind of sentimental mensch who wanted his friends to experience what he was experiencing.

It wasn’t like that at all.

Except it kind of was.

“Don’t forget to wash behind your ears!”

Jared flipped her off and kept going.

Her cackling was the last thing he heard before he closed the door.


	3. Christmas

College

**Freshman Year**

_I’m being kidnapped... Send help... dfdsfsdfsdf_

Evan’s phone flashed again before he could even try to think of a response to that.

_Kidnapped isn’t the right word._

_Hostage. My father is holding me hostage against my will._

Evan took a breath and tried to figure out exactly how concerned he should be about Connor’s predicament. _Aren’t hostages always being held against their will?_

The response popped up so quickly he could see the panic in Connor’s words.

_I don’t have time for your technicalities. The lights are going out. omg... Why are the lights going out?_

Evan automatically reached up to flick the switch next to him. He flicked it again when the light made his mother stir.

He scooted to the other end of the couch in case the light from his phone was waking her up. 

He didn’t feel like dealing with that. 

They’d had a good day. A quietly good day.

He didn’t feel like ruining it.

He didn’t feel like telling her what time it was and how long she’d been asleep and what she’d missed.

Because she’d definitely ask.

It didn’t matter how many times she’d seen _Casper_. She’d still ask him what had happened after she’d dozed off. 

She’d ask what had happened and why he hadn’t woken her and what he was doing on his phone.

She’d ask what he was doing if she was awake enough to notice.

That was what he really didn’t feel like dealing with.

Not that he was doing anything bad.

He was texting Connor. A friend. His friend. His friend his mother would want to hear all about. 

He could tell she was dying to learn more about Connor.

Because it was new. New and exciting. Her eighteen-year-old son having a friend was new and exciting.

How sad was that?

Sad enough that the sight of his mother twitching in her sleep made his heart race.

He dropped his phone when he remembered that he was still holding it. He saved it right before it hit the floor.

He unlocked it and checked his messages in case he’d missed something.

He hadn’t.

He hadn’t really thought he had.

He wondered what that meant. He wondered if Connor really was being held hostage in a dark room. He wondered if it was up to him to call 911.

_You ok?_

Nothing.

No response whatsoever.

His stomach churned. He started to ask again, only to change his mind when he decided that made him sound too needy.

He didn’t want to sound needy. He didn’t want to feel needy. It was a slippery slope. A weird, slippery slope.

Which made sense because everything in his life had felt weird since the semester had ended.

Being home, being home with his mom, being home after he’d gotten used to being independent. 

It was weird sleeping in his room and scrounging for food in the kitchen and being surrounded by quiet.

It was weird going from seeing Connor every day to not seeing him at all. 

He had no idea how to navigate that. They didn’t live that far from each other. They could hang out over break if they wanted. 

He wasn’t sure what to do with that information though. 

That was the saddest part of all. He didn’t know how to ask the one real friend he had if he wanted to do something outside of school.

Which was the main reason he didn’t feel like getting into it with his mother. He was afraid she’d try to set up a playdate of some kind. 

The paranoid side of his brain told him he was being ridiculous. The practical side told him he wasn’t.

He shoved that aside when the sofa shifted.

Not shoved. Buried. He derailed the whole train.

He checked his reflection to make sure his face was acceptably blank.

He made it just in time.

His mother opened her eyes and stretched and yawned. She blinked at the tv like she’d been drugged. “How long was I out?”

Evan simply shrugged.

His phone rang while he was staring at it.

He yelped and threw it in the air. It landed on his chest with a painful thump.

He accidentally accepted the call when he picked it back up.

And then he yelped again when Connor’s face filled the screen.

He hadn’t realized it was that kind of call.

He hated FaceTiming. He hated how personal it felt. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to look. It was suffocating.

He didn’t say that. He knew he couldn’t say that.

Saying that would be weird. He didn’t want to be weird.

He didn’t want Connor to think he was weird.

Which was weird because he was pretty sure Connor already did and didn’t mind. He was used to Evan’s particular brand of weirdness.

Evan took a breath and looked at the phone.

“Is this a bad time?” Connor laughed.

There was something suggestive about his tone.

Evan’s cheeks felt hot when he realized that.

His whole face went red when he understood the insinuation.

He sat up quickly and flicked on his light. “No! I... I’m in bed, but I’m not... I wouldn’t answer the phone while I’m...”

He didn’t want to finish that thought.

It wouldn’t have mattered if he had.

Connor was laughing too hard to hear him.

“This better not be a ransom call because if it is, well...” Evan shook his head.

Connor grinned when he finally stopped chuckling. “You would leave me hanging because I laughed at you?”

Evan pretended to think about that while he felt around his nightstand for something to hold up. “No, but if your kidnappers want more than...” He wrinkled his nose when he saw what he’d grabbed. “...a half a stick of gum, you’re calling the wrong guy.”

“My life’s only worth a half a stick of gum to you?” Connor pretended to gasp.

Evan shrugged and made a show of unwrapping the gum.

“Good thing they let me go then.”

“They?” Evan popped the gum into his mouth. “I thought it was just your dad.”

Connor leaned forward like he was checking something. “It was all three of them.”

“It’s Christmas,” Evan reminded him. “Christmas is for family.”

His eyes widened when he heard himself.

He leaned forward to make sure his door was securely shut, that there were no sounds of movement in the hall.

He knew that was a touchy subject with his mom. She felt guilty about all the times she’d had to work on Christmas.

She felt even worse now that that was no longer an option.

“At least yours didn’t hold you hostage and make you watch _Die Hard_.”

Evan blinked at the phone. “Is that what they were doing?”

Connor grimaced at the memory. “Zoe made the mistake of telling our dad _Die Hard_ isn’t a Christmas movie after he said it’s his favorite.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah...” Connor shook his head. “He decided to make us watch it to prove he’s right.”

“Did it work?”

Connor shook his head slowly.

“Well, at least you’re free now.”

“Because it’s past his bedtime. Otherwise, we’d be watching the sequel.” Connor tilted his head. “Is there a sequel?”

“More than one. I think there’s a whole franchise.”

Connor dropped his phone.

It landed on his stomach. Or so Evan thought. It was hard to tell. He could just see gray fabric and a blurry bit of skin.

He looked away when he realized that was what he was staring at.

Glancing, not staring. 

He didn’t look up until Connor started speaking again.

“Don’t tell my dad.” Connor grabbed at his hair. “Fuck. He already knows, doesn’t he?”

“Probably,” Evan nodded.

“I’m not spending my whole break watching fucking _Die Hard_.”

Evan held up his empty gum wrapper. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. This one’s on me. I’ll have you out of there in no time.”

Connor narrowed his eyes for a moment before he started to laugh.

**Sophomore Year**

“There! Did you see that! Its eyes just moved!”

Zoe rolled her eyes and took another bite of her cookie. “You’re losing it, Kels.”

Kelsey shuddered and forced herself to look away. “You want to go somewhere else?”

“Like where?”

“Anywhere. I’m not picky.”

“You really need to get over this whole Santa thing.”

Kelsey shuddered again. “I don’t know why we have so many of them.”

“Have you tried telling your mom how you feel?”

“She keeps telling me I’m being ridiculous.” Kelsey pointed at the fireplace. “Did I tell you what Josh did with the scary-looking elf over there?”

It was Zoe’s turn to shudder. “Do I want to know?”

“He put it in our parents’ shower. Dad almost had a heart attack this morning.”

“Well, that would’ve been one way to keep everyone from coming to your house.”

Kelsey pulled Zoe in for a hug. “But then I wouldn’t have gotten to spend Christmas with my favorite cousin!”

Zoe patted her on the head. “I’m still not getting up.”

“Too full?”

“That and... people.”

Kelsey nodded knowingly. “Who are we avoiding this year?”

Zoe leaned back to check the door.

The coast was clear.

The rest of their family was still opening gifts in the living room.

“Connor.”

Kelsey rolled her eyes. “Of course. Why’d I ask?”

“He’s just being so...” Zoe let her breath out in a huff.

“Connor?” Kelsey finished. 

Zoe checked the door again.

It was safe. She knew it was safe. She could still hear the shouts coming from the living room.

She knew Connor wasn’t there though. He’d opted out of the Yankee swap too.

Which meant she had no idea where he was.

She decided it didn’t matter. She didn’t care if he overheard them.

“He got into this fight with his friend.”

Kelsey raised her eyebrows at that. “Friend or boyfriend?”

“Friend,” Zoe laughed. “It’s funny though. He’s more upset about it than he is about the thing with...”

She didn’t think it was right to call Matt Connor’s boyfriend. Partially because it didn’t feel right. Mostly because it wasn’t her story to tell.

And Kelsey couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.

“And he’s taking it out on you?” Kelsey asked.

“He’s taking it out on himself.” Zoe’s mouth snapped shut when she heard herself. 

She hadn’t realized that was he was doing. What she thought he was doing.

But it was.

She glanced over her shoulder again.

Part of her hoped Connor was lurking outside the door.

She decided to raise her voice and enunciate her words for his benefit. “He’d feel so much better if he would just talk to Evan.”

Kelsey leaned back to check the hall. “Is he out there?”

Zoe shrugged. She couldn’t tell either, but there was a spot under the stairs where they’d liked to hide as kids. It wouldn’t surprise her if Connor was sulking in there.

Kelsey’s mouth twisted to the side. “Evan is the not-boyfriend?”

Zoe nodded. “I wish he...”

She stopped herself because she wasn’t sure what she was saying. Or thinking. Or feeling. She had no idea where she’d been going with that statement. 

The only thing she knew was that she didn’t want Connor to hear it.

“You wish Evan was Connor’s boyfriend?” Kelsey snorted. Her snort turned into a smirk when their eyes met. “Because that’s what it sounded like you were going to say.”

Zoe wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she thought she heard something slam in the hall.

She swallowed sharply.

Footsteps. 

She had definitely heard footsteps on the stairs.

She pointed at the Santa by the window. “Okay, I think I saw it move that time.”

Kelsey whimpered and covered her eyes.

**Junior Year**

“I’m bored.”

Jared didn’t bother scolding his brother for coming in unannounced. He knew how that would go. It was Henry’s room too. They were too old to keep having the same conversation about privacy.

That didn’t stop him from being annoyed by the interruption though. Annoyed and embarrassed. He pulled his laptop closer so Henry couldn’t see. “And that’s my problem how?”

“I didn’t say it was your problem.” Henry threw himself onto his bed and rolled over so he was dangling over the side. “I just said I’m bored. I’ve run out of specials to watch.”

“Go bug Mom and Dad. I’m busy.”

Henry pulled himself up. “Doing what? You’re on vacation.”

Jared studied him for a moment. His brother was bored and restless and humming _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_. A lethal combination. “Go do something with one of your friends.”

“It’s Christmas. They’re all with their families.”

“Go out by yourself then.”

“Everything’s closed.”

“The movies aren’t.” He shielded the screen when Henry crept over to look. “Do you mind?”

“Dating advice?” Henry’s whole face lit up. “You’re reading how to get girls?”

“I’m not...” Jared slammed his laptop shut.

That wasn’t what he was doing.

Not even close.

He’d just been clicking around at random and had randomly come across a random post that was actually relevant to his current situation.

That was it.

That was the whole story.

And he was going to stick with it unless someone ever accessed his ISP records and even then, he’d claim he’d been hacked.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” Henry grinned.

There was no way Jared was answering that.

Henry knew that too. He stared at the ceiling while he pretended to think. “Let me guess... Zoe?”

Jared couldn’t mask his surprise.

He hated when his brother had random moments of clarity.

“You want some advice?” Henry asked.

Jared did but he didn’t.

His options were limited. Ryan would happily give him advice he’d never use. He’d die of embarrassment if he asked Kai. Chris and Seth only knew about fictional girls. Cole had more game than he’d expected, but no. A world of no.

Connor would kill him. Kill him dead. They’d never find the body.

And Evan...

There was a limit to how much he was willing to ask Evan. 

And there was a limit to what Evan knew. 

Maybe someday, if Evan ever figured things out and went for what he wanted.

Jared resisted the urge to snort. Pigs would fly before that happened.

Henry smiled at him serenely, like he understood everything Jared was thinking.

Eerily wise and perceptive Henry was Jared’s least favorite Henry by far.

“There’s more to life than silver and gold. You must be true to yourself. Embrace your inner misfit. Be proud of who you are. Don’t force yourself to fit into the mold others have made. It’s her loss if she doesn’t embrace you, nose and all. There are other fish in the sea and does in the forest. There’s always-”

“Tomorrow,” Jared chirped in unison with his brother.

Henry pulled back in shock. “That’s right. How’d you...”

The clarity was gone.

Jared picked at his nails. “Lucky guess.”

**Senior Year**

Connor put the phone on speaker and rolled over so could glare at the ceiling. “I feel sick.”

“Because of-”

Connor groaned before Evan could say their names. He sat up for a second and then flopped back down.

It was safe. He knew it was.

His parents were at a friend’s house. Zoe and Jared were wrapped up in their movie.

It still felt weird to hear Evan on speaker though. He picked the phone back up.

“It’s like they’re trying to be disgustingly cute.”

“They probably are,” Evan agreed. He burst out laughing. “I never thought I’d hear you call Zoe and Jared disgustingly cute.”

“I said they’re trying to be,” Connor hissed. “I didn’t say I thought they were.”

“Those words still left your mouth. It counts.”

“Jared’s down there pretending he doesn’t understand the plot of _A Christmas Carol_ , so Zoe will explain it to him.” Connor wrinkled his nose. “It’s disgusting.”

“-ly cute,” Evan cackled. 

“And a total lie. Who doesn’t know the plot of _A Christmas Carol_?”

“Jared does. We used to watch the Muppet one every year.”

Something about that made Connor’s stomach twist. He ignored it. “That’s the one they’re watching.”

“So, yeah, he’s full of it.”

“Well, I knew that,” Connor huffed. “How’s Colorado?”

“Good.”

Connor frowned at the phone. That hadn’t been convincing at all.

He decided not to press. “So, I have a new theory about Jeffrey.”

There was a rustling sound and then a whisper.

A new whisper.

Connor didn’t recognize the voice.

“Hey, so, uh, I have to go,” Evan said in a voice Connor had never heard.

He frowned at the phone again. “Okay.”

“Merry Christmas!”

The call ended.

Connor’s phone buzzed while it was still in his hand.

_Lisa’s parents found me hiding in the closet._

There was a joke there somewhere, but he didn’t think Evan wanted to hear it.

He knew Evan didn’t want to hear it when it twisted around in his head and turned into a reminder of their accidental kiss. He felt drunk just thinking about it.

He dropped his phone before his hands could take on a life of their own and type what he was thinking.

He decided to take Zoe up on her offer to watch the movie with them.

He grabbed the things he’d need to survive that – his book, his laptop, a scarf to tie across his eyes if the PDA got to be too bad.

Not his phone.

He didn’t trust himself with that.

Post-College

**Two Years Later**

“Is it too late to convert to Judaism?”

Evan stopped smoothing the tablecloth long enough to look up. “What?”

Connor cleared his throat. “Is it too late-”

“You want to...” Evan shook his head. “I don’t care that you’re not Jewish. I’m only half, so there’s no reason for you to...”

His mouth snapped shut when he realized that hadn’t been what Connor meant.

He smiled knowingly. “If you were Jewish, you’d have to see them eight nights instead of one.”

“Two,” Connor reminded him. “I still have to go to my uncle’s house tomorrow.”

“Two,” Evan nodded. He pressed a finger to his chin and grinned. “You really are jealous of Jared.”

“They’re not going to his apartment!”

“Because we’re hosting!” Evan put a hand on his hip. “It was your idea.”

“Was I drunk when I suggested it?”

Evan swallowed a laugh. “A little bit.”

Connor’s eyes flashed. “Then why-”

“Because we didn’t want a repeat of last year.”

When they hadn’t seen each other at all.

The memory hung in the air.

Connor sighed and threw himself onto the couch. “My parents invited your mom too.”

“I know, but Geoff’s family-”

“Is huge and has a big family dinner. I know. He’s coming here tonight though, isn’t he?”

Evan nodded.

“Because that’s what couples do. They have multiple Christmases if need be.”

Evan bit his lip. “Yeah.”

“So, next year...”

Evan stopped fussing with the table and jabbed a finger in Connor’s direction. “It was your idea to have them over!”

Connor glared at the door. “I’m sending Mom over to Zoe’s to borrow some milk.” He did a set of jazz hands. “Surprise inspection!”

Evan turned around to check the fridge. “Better make it butter. We have plenty of milk.”

**Four Years Later**

Evan chuckled as he fastened his seatbelt. “Next year, I’m going to save you some time and wear a shirt that says ‘I’m Connor Murphy’s husband. Ask me how.’”

Connor froze with his hand on the gearstick. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

“You almost introduced me to Zoe.”

Connor rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder. “I did not.”

“You did so! When she came out of the bathroom, you-”

“I thought she was someone else.” Connor stopped backing up long enough to glance at him. “And you weren’t much better at Geoff’s brother’s house this morning.”

“We only see Geoff’s family once a year.”

“So?”

“So, they barely know who I am, let alone my husband.”

Connor smirked as he checked his blind spot. “Okay, next year, let’s just simplify things and wear matching ‘I’m with stupid’ t-shirts.”

Evan nodded solemnly. “I think that would be wise.”

**Seven Years Later**

Evan refilled the humidifier and carefully perched on the side of the bed. The flash from his selfie woke Connor up. He cringed sympathetically at the coughing that transpired.

“Id-ew-tik-i-picsaw?”

_Did you take my picture?_

It took Evan less than a second to follow that. He really was fluent in Connor-cold-speak. 

“Zoe thinks you’re faking.”

“E-ways-oz.”

_She always does._

“She wanted proof that you’re not pretending to get out of dinner at Josh’s.”

Connor nodded sleepily.

“Your mom dropped off some soup.”

Connor grumbled something that Evan did not catch.

“My mom thinks I’m going to start sneezing tonight.”

“He-ss-urse.”

_She was a nurse._

Evan nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully you’ll be well enough to take care of me tomorrow.”

“Don’t-out-n-it.”

_Don’t count on it._

Evan sighed and felt his forehead.

It was still hot.

“I’m going to get you some more medicine.” 

Connor hacked into his arm. “Wuv-ew.”

Evan’s hand slid down to Connor’s cheek. “I love you too.”

**Ten Years Later**

Evan kept waving until he managed to end the call without looking. He sighed and smiled and went back downstairs to rejoin the madness.

He moved so quickly he nearly tripped over the twins and Victoria.

“Sorry, sorry,” Layla cried as she flew across the room. “What did I just tell you three about playing on the stairs?”

The kids giggled and took off again. 

Penny paused long enough to wave at him. “Hi Uncle Evan! Bye Uncle Evan!”

He barely managed to return the wave before she followed her brother and Victoria into the pantry.

Layla reluctantly trailed after them.

“Is the coast clear?”

The question was quiet and shrill and came from behind a plant.

Evan shook his head at Jared. “Are you hiding from your kids again?”

“It’s Christmas,” Jared groaned. He looked both ways before stepping out. “This is the closest to a break I’m going to get all week.”

“Layla’s not your nanny.”

“I know...” Jared huffed. He squeezed his eyes shut when something crashed in the pantry. “On a scale from one to ten, exactly how attached are you to all your-”

“Go.”

“I’m going.”

Evan refilled his drink and went to join Connor by the fire. “My dad says hi.”

Connor nodded vaguely. His eyes were glued on the pantry door. “If they break our bread maker-”

“We’ll replace it,” Zoe assured him. She raised her eyebrows at Ryan. “Halfsies?” 

Ryan gave her a thumbs up and went back to his conversation with Kai.

Evan strained to hear, but it was impossible. 

He’d have to wait for his chance to find out about Kai’s trip to Greece.

Cole leaned forward to stage whisper at Zoe. “I still have that parenting book we discussed, if you’d like to read it.”

Connor squeezed Evan’s knee and leaned back to whisper in his ear. “She looks just like Mom right now.”

Evan masked his laughter with a cough.

There was something very Cynthia-esque about the smile on Zoe’s face.

It was like it had been plastered on.

It was a miracle – a Christmas miracle – that she didn’t explode.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said through gritted teeth.

Cole didn’t notice. He beamed at his son – who, Evan had to admit, was much calmer than the twins, kissed Cara’s cheek, and launched into a surprisingly hilarious story about a hunting trip gone wrong.

Evan turned to Connor when he was done. “So, tomorrow.”

“Brunch with your mom and Geoff.”

Evan nodded. “Dinner at Josh’s.”

Connor made a face.

“And that’s it. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”

A quick ‘you’re such a dork’ smile flickered across Connor’s face before he grabbed his stomach.

Zoe leapt at that before he had a chance to moan. “Oh, no you don’t! If I’m going to Josh’s with all three of my kids-”

“Three?” Cole frowned.

“Jared’s been temporarily demoted.”

Connor dropped the act and perked back up. “What’d he do?”

Zoe chewed her lip uncertainly.

The front door flew opened before she could decide if she wanted to spill.

Seth and Chris came stomping in.

Seriously stomping.

They were clearly in the middle of a fight.

Seth’s eyes zeroed in on Connor and Evan. He marched across the room and unzipped his jacket.

A small, furry head poked out.

Seth removed the kitten and gently dropped it in Connor’s lap. “Here. For your collection. Merry Christmas.”

Chris stared at his feet as they scuffed along the floor. “His name is Moe.”


	4. Valentine's Day

**Freshman Year**

“So, yeah...” Ryan popped his collar, made a face, and smashed it back down.

He shook his head at his reflection and briefly contemplated changing his shirt.

Again.

For the fourth time.

Not that he was keeping count or anything.

He spun around before he could figure out exactly how much the shirt made him look like an 80’s movie villain.

He tapped his chin while he waited for his thoughts to cycle back to the beginning. “It sounds like it’s going to be a pretty lowkey night.”

Evan simply stared.

Ryan pressed his forehead. 

It had been six months. He should be used to this.

And he was.

Sort of.

He felt fairly comfortable in his assessment of what Evan’s various twitches and looks meant. 

This one meant he was confused.

Ryan wasn’t sure what had confused him.

Seriously. He had no idea.

“Chill?” Ryan tried again. “Kai made it sound like it’s going to be a... It’s not going to be all...” Ryan threw his hands in the air like he just didn’t care.

Nothing.

Not even a blink.

He sighed and perched on his bed.

His clean bed.

His immaculately made bed.

He would’ve thought that was clue enough.

It was time to be direct.

“You should go.”

“Go?” Evan tilted his head.

For someone so smart, he really had a lot to learn.

“To Kai’s party.” Ryan resisted the urge to groan. “Kai. You know Kai?”

It suddenly occurred to him that Evan might not.

They’d met. He was sure of that. He wasn’t sure if Evan remembered which one Kai was though.

He stood up and held his hand a few inches above his head. “Yay high, black hair, always dressed for the gym.”

Something sparked in Evan’s eyes.

Progress.

“He invited me to his party?”

Ryan closed his eyes and tried not to let his exasperation show. “It’s not... You don’t need an invitation to get in. It’s not that kind of thing.”

And it wasn’t actually Kai’s party.

It was just the one Kai was going to.

Ryan decided not to get into that.

“I...”

He wasn’t going.

Ryan didn’t have to look at him to get that.

He decided to change tactics.

“It’s Valentine’s Day.”

Evan nodded slightly.

Still confused but at least he knew what day it was.

Ryan could work with that.

“And...” Ryan debated how to put it. “Layla.”

That seemed to do the trick.

It was like a lightbulb had gone off in Evan’s head.

“Oh.” Evan jumped off his chair. “Oh, uh...”

“She’s coming here because there’s this whole thing with her roommate and...”

“You want me to leave?” Evan flinched when he heard himself. “Of course, you want me to leave! I can’t be here while you’re... You don’t want me watching that.” He flinched again.

Violently flinched. For a second there, Ryan was sure he was going to be spending the night in health services while his roommate got treated for a concussion.

“No, but you’re welcome to join in.”

Ryan’s grin faded when he remembered who he was talking to.

There was a reason he was in this situation. There was a reason he’d never taken Kai’s suggestion and tied a sock around the doorknob.

Evan probably would’ve thought it was some kind of laundry mishap.

Or, then again, maybe not.

Evan snorted.

Snorted and then laughed.

Ryan did too.

Relief washed over him.

He liked Evan. He really did. He knew he’d lucked out roommate-wise.

It could’ve been worse. So much worse.

He’d heard stories.

He checked his phone. Layla was on her way.

So was Kai. He looked almost comically buzzed in the getting-ready selfie he’d sent.

He cleared his throat. “The party’s in Narrow if you want to go.”

Evan shook his head. “I have plans.”

“You do?” Ryan hated how surprised he sounded.

Evan didn’t seem bothered. “I do. With Connor. My friend Connor. You know Connor?”

Ryan nodded slowly.

Of course, he knew Connor.

Knew of him mostly, but still.

That was the only name he ever heard Evan say.

Which was cool. At least Evan had someone.

Ryan covered his mouth to hide his smile.

He still wasn’t sure exactly what Connor was to Evan. 

Friend? Boyfriend? Something in between?

At least he knew Connor wasn’t a figment of Evan’s imagination.

He’d actually been worried that was the case at one point.

His phone flashed.

“She’s here.”

Evan looked around like he thought Layla was about to jump out of the closet.

“Downstairs,” Ryan corrected.

“Oh.” Evan nodded frantically. He hurtled across the room so fast he knocked over his chair. 

His eyes bulged as he lunged forward to fix it.

And then he was gone.

Just like that.

Ryan was pretty sure he heard the words “have fun” before the door slammed shut.

****

**Sophomore Year**

“Ollie... you know Ollie, right? That guy down the hall. The one with the thing.” Kai pointed at his neck in a way that could mean anything from a mole to a turtleneck.

Seth nodded anyway.

He didn’t care who Ollie was.

He only cared about keeping Kai talking.

Kai on a sugar high was pure comedy gold.

Who knew?

“He’s down there shooting people with arrows.”

That got Chris’s attention. He sat up so fast he dropped his phone on his nose.

Gold. Pure gold.

All of Seth’s roommates were very entertaining.

“Real arrows or the plastic kind?” 

Kai rolled his eyes and shoved another cookie in his mouth. He swallowed it whole.

Or so it seemed.

It was impressive.

“Plastic with foam tips.” Kai pretended to shoot one at Chris. “He’s dressed like Cupid.”

Seth laughed at the image forming in his brain. “When you say Cupid do you mean he’s-”

“Wearing a cloth diaper and fairy wings,” Kai nodded. He reached for another cookie, only to freeze in mid-stretch. “What’s in these?”

The sudden sharpness in Kai’s tone got Evan’s attention. He turned around to look. “What?”

Kai grabbed a napkin and spit into it. “Shit. Really? I have practice tomorrow.”

Evan stared at the cookie in his hand like it had betrayed him. “Did you put something in these?”

Seth took great offense to that. “Nothing but love.”

Chris pretended to gag. 

Connor leaned over and muttered something that calmed Evan down immediately.

Kai didn’t notice and he wasn’t amused. “I’m serious. Coach does random drug tests. Tell me you didn’t put any-”

“Any what?” Seth demanded.

“Weed or...” Kai sighed when he saw Seth’s expression. “Why can’t I stop eating these then?”

Seth glanced at Chris because he didn’t know how to answer that without sounding conceited.

“Because Seth made them.” Chris pretended to swoon. “They’re his prize-winning triple chocolate chip cookies.”

Kai perked up a bit. “You won a prize for these?”

Seth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

Of course, that part interested Kai. 

Seth was not in the mood to compare trophies.

“First place at the county fair,” Chris beamed. “He was eleven. The youngest winner in over twenty years. He got his picture taken with a pig.”

Seth really needed to stop telling Chris things.

Chris pulled out his phone. His tongue stuck out a bit while he scrolled. “I have it on here somewhere.” He smirked at Seth’s unasked question. “Your sister sent it to me.”

Seth should’ve known.

He tried to snatch the phone away from Chris. He sighed when he failed. “That was during my Bieber phase.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was One Direction.”

Seth decided not to take the bait. Correcting Chris would only lead to more mockery. “I’m just saying, the hair... I got it cut a week later.”

He hoped Chris didn’t have a picture of that too.

Chris grinned as he held out his phone.

There was a collective aww.

It was only half-sarcastic.

Seth decided to count that as a win.

Chris did too. “I also have a picture of the time-”

Seth made an indignant squawking sound. He didn’t have to know what the picture was of to know he didn’t want it shared.

Chris decided to drop it.

Not because he was a good friend.

Seth knew that wasn’t the case. He knew Chris was only dropping it because the others’ attention had shifted.

He tilted his head to see what Kai was staring at.

“You have chocolate right there.” Evan gestured at the side of his mouth.

Connor mirrored his movements to no avail. “Here?”

“To the left. Your left. No...” Evan shook his head. He grabbed a napkin and...

Seth looked away.

He wasn’t the only one.

No one could watch.

It was too...

He didn’t want to use the word ‘cute’ but it was.

Kai could barely contain his amusement as he typed out a text.

To Ryan, most likely.

Seth couldn’t think of anyone else who would want to know what they’d seen.

Chris cleared his throat and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “It’s a good thing Jared isn’t here.”

Seth nodded solemnly. 

****

**Junior Year**

Kai threw his head back and laughed when he saw the state Ryan was in. “You’ve been Ollied!”

Ryan made a sputtering sound as he picked at his shirt. “Do you think it’ll come out?”

Kai shrugged merrily. “You should’ve been like me.” He bent his knees and hopped. “Duck and slide!”

“We can’t all be ninjas,” Ryan muttered. He sighed at his shirt. “Why did it have to be red dye? Why couldn’t he have used water?”

“Because he didn’t get enough attention last year. He had to step things up. Water balloons are way more effective than foam arrows.” Kai fished out his keys since Ryan seemed to have forgotten they were necessary for unlocking the door. “You’re home early. Did Layla kick you out?”

Ryan let go of his shirt and blinked when he saw where they were. “She has a meeting with her advisor in the morning and I’m a-” Ryan lifted his hands to form air quotes. “-distraction.”

“Yeah, you are,” Kai teased. He pushed the door open.

The suite was quiet. Just like he’d expected, given the date and hour. 

“What about you?” Ryan checked the time. “I didn’t think we’d see you until tomorrow night.”

Kai frowned. He didn’t know what to say to comments like that, not even to Ryan. He knew what his reputation was. He knew why he had it. He knew he deserved parts of it. 

He knew it would change if he cleared some things up.

He didn’t feel like clearing things up.

Not even with Ryan.

He liked keeping some things to himself.

He focused on Cole instead.

Cole was frantically scrubbing something in the sink. He lifted his head when they came in. His eyes zeroed in on Ryan’s shirt. “Give it to me.”

Kai chuckled at Ryan’s reaction. “Looks like Cole got Ollied too.”

Cole snapped his fingers impatiently. “You have to get the stains out before they have time to set.”

Ryan tugged on his shirt like he couldn’t decide what to do. 

Kai turned around to take some of the pressure off him. 

His eyes darted around aimlessly until they settled on the living area.

Connor and Evan were watching their stupid soap.

It was a sight he’d seen countless times.

He didn’t know why it made him pause.

Maybe because it was safer to watch them than it was to watch Ryan strip.

Maybe because it was late and he was tired and their closeness was kind of hypnotic.

They were in their own world, laughing at something the blonde lady was saying.

And they were sitting close together.

Which wasn’t that strange, really. Personal space was a luxury when there were eight guys, one couch, and limited leg room.

Of course, this was one of the few times they could’ve enjoyed that luxury.

No one else was watching their show.

No one else was anywhere near them.

Ryan cleared his throat self-consciously and folded his arms across his chest. “Are we sure they’re not...”

His voice trailed off when he realized what he was saying.

The first rule of the Evan-Connor thing was that you didn’t acknowledge the Evan-Connor thing. Not out loud. Not while they were close enough to hear.

It was only safe to speculate when the coast was clear.

“Not what?” Cole frowned. He stopped scrubbing long enough to see what they were watching. “Oh.”

Kai exchanged a look with Ryan. That hadn’t been a good ‘oh.’

“Has anyone tried asking them?” Cole leaned forward before they could stop him. “Hey! Are you guys-”

They worked in tandem. Ryan grabbed Cole before he could finish that thought. Kai leapt forward to redirect Evan and Connor’s attention onto him.

“Hungry?” Kai finished breathlessly. 

That did the trick. Sort of. 

“Um...” Evan tilted his head at Connor, who merely shrugged. “Not really.”

“We’re good,” Connor called.

Kai spun around to face Ryan and Cole. “They’re good.”

Ryan let go of Cole and ignored the glare he received. “Good.”

“Good,” Kai agreed.

He held his laughter in until he caught Ryan’s eye.

And then it was all over.

****

**Senior Year**

Chris opened the door without knocking.

It didn’t even occur to him to knock, not until he saw the look Seth was giving him.

“What?” Chris breathed. It took his brain a second to catch onto the fact that he’d burst in on Seth while he was lying in bed. “Oh... Are you...”

Chris wrinkled his nose.

Seth narrowed his eyes. “No! Jeez. Don’t you think I would’ve locked the door if I was going to...”

“I don’t know!” Chris hissed. “Why do you look all mad then?”

“Because privacy!” Seth snapped. He deflated when he saw Chris’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I texted Hilary.”

Seth squeezed his eyes shut and held out his hand.

Chris reluctantly handed over his phone. 

“Twelve hours,” Seth reminded him. “You can have it back in twelve hours.”

“But what if she-”

“Nuh!” Seth grunted. 

“But what if-”

Seth shushed him. “I don’t make the rules.”

“You do, actually. You make all the rules.”

“They’re for your own good!” Seth shook his head sadly. “Texting your ex on Valentine’s Day? Could you be a bigger cliché?”

“I’m too sober for this,” Chris huffed.

He spun on his heel and went back into the common area.

He wasn’t sure if he actually wanted a drink. He wasn’t sure of anything.

He’d just said hi to Hilary.

He’d just said hi and asked how she was and if she was up.

That was it.

No harm done.

He poked his forehead like doing that would push the memory out of his brain.

He needed a drink. Or a cookie. Whichever he found first.

Found being the keyword. 

It was dark. All the lights were out. Even the tv was off.

Which was why he hadn’t seen them when he first left his room.

He did a double take when his eyes landed on the couch. He barely had time to register what he was seeing before Seth walked into him. “Watch it!”

“Put a light on!”

It was Chris’s turn to shush. “Look.”

He waited while Seth’s eyes adjusted to the dark.

“Aww!”

“I guess they decided to watch another movie after all.”

“Or something.” Seth wiggled his eyebrows.

Chris made a face. “Gross...”

Seth put a hand on his hip. “You think that’s gross? Aren’t you the one who has a bet on, like, five different dates? So what? You’re only cool with the idea of them getting together if you get something out of it? You can’t stand the idea of them actually-”

Chris shushed him again. He nodded at the kitchen and tiptoed over there before they woke the guys up. 

“I’d love it if they’d finally come to their senses and... you know,” Chris murmured. “Even if it happens on a date I don’t have any money on.”

Seth nodded slightly.

“I just meant that’s our couch. We sit on it. Study on it. Watch insane amounts of tv on it. The only bodily fluid on it should be drool and even that should be kept to a minimum.”

Seth smirked at the couch. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, it looks like Evan’s shirt is absorbing the majority of the drool.”

Chris snorted. Loudly. It was an embarrassingly loud snort. He covered his mouth like that would take back the sound.

It didn’t matter.

Their roommates didn’t budge.

Not really.

Connor yawned and nuzzled in even more. Evan tightened his hold a bit. And that was it.

“Should we wake them?” Chris wondered.

Seth gave him a look that screamed ‘are you crazy?’ “No way! I’m not dealing with that tonight!” He clutched his chest. “The awkwardness! I’m getting secondhand embarrassment just thinking about it.”

He had a point. Connor was practically on top of Evan and Evan was holding him in what looked like a death grip.

“Let’s hope they spread out a bit before they wake up.”

Seth smiled knowingly. “You don’t have anything on Valentine’s Day, do you?”

“No,” Chris sighed.

****

**Post-College - One Year Later**

Cole took a sip of his drink while he surveyed the room.

The night was a success.

His first official dinner party was a success.

It had gone better than he’d expected. He would’ve been content just seeing everyone and knowing that they’d chosen to come to his house of their own free will because he was their friend, their actual friend, not just their annoying old roommate.

Seeing that they were happy and full was just the cherry on top of the sundae.

He deserved a pat on the back for pulling it off. Cara would give him one later. She’d give him more than that. She’d...

He sniffed his drink. 

That was the last time he was going to let Jared make him one. It was strong. Too strong. 

He downed the rest of it and went to join Jared and Cara at the bar.

Cara’s face lit up when she spotted him. “Sweetie, I was just telling Jared...” She put a hand to her mouth before a hiccup escaped. 

Cole decided it was officially time to take Jared off of bartending duty. He opened his mouth to say just that.

Cara went on before he could. Her voice was a cross between a whisper and a shout. “I think it’s time for another bet.”

Cole frowned as he tried to figure out what she was talking about.

“Chris and Seth!” Cara yelped.

Cole put a hand on her arm. He knew his wife. She’d meant for that to be a whisper. She hadn’t meant to gain everyone’s attention.

Cole gave their guests a weak smile until all the conversations resumed. He didn’t think he was imagining the fact that Chris and Seth were eyeing them warily.

“What about them?” Cole whispered.

“We should start a bet about when they’re going to get together!”

Cole shook his head. “They’re not...” He looked to Jared for support.

Jared didn’t give it. He was loving this. He was loving the idea of tricking Cole’s wife into giving him money.

Cole would deal with that later. He stroked Cara’s arm and made sure to keep his voice low. “They’re just friends.”

“They’re always together! They came here together!”

She was right. They had come to the party together. 

“It’s not like that though,” Cole maintained. “They’re not like Connor and Evan.”

Jared backed away. He knew a lost cause when he saw one.

Cara didn’t get it. She looked between the two pairs. “Not yet, but someday-”

“Maybe,” Cole relented. “You never know. Stranger things have happened.”

He left it at that. 

Cara hummed in satisfaction. 

He’d explain it to her later if she asked. Much later. After the guests were gone and their heads had cleared.

He’d explain how it was different, how it had always been different. 

Seth and Chris were close. They were best friends. 

And that was it.

He’d never gotten a romantic vibe from them. He’d never seen them give each other any meaningful looks. 

They respected each other’s personal space.

They teased and they counseled and they didn’t get jealous.

They could live without each other in a way that Connor and Evan could not.

It wasn’t the same. It had never been the same.

Jared understood that too. He would’ve started a bet ages ago if he hadn’t.

Cole followed Cara’s stare. She was still studying the pairs. Either that or she was too tipsy to control where she looked.

He studied her face. It was the former. It was definitely the former.

He decided to change the subject before she could say something they’d both regret.

He lifted his glass. 

Jared noticed first. He motioned for everyone to settle down and gave Cole a look that suggested he thought that made up for the fact that he’d tried to scam Cara.

It did not. 

Cole didn’t let that show. He cleared his throat. “Cheers to friends, old and new, and to our loves.” He kissed Cara’s cheek.

The other couples in the room had their moments too.

Jared wrapped his arms around Zoe and said something that made her laugh.

Layla lifted herself up to kiss Ryan’s nose.

Evan and Connor made out against the wall until Jared’s hooting made them stop.

Kai smiled to himself as he checked his phone.

Seth flicked a crumb off Chris’s shoulder and brushed the area until it was clean.

Cole really hoped Cara hadn’t noticed that.


End file.
